Report on the Anss Meeting (Prague, May 1-3, 2015)

The ANSS meeting took place in Prague on May 1-3, 2015. The event was finely hosted by the Czech Republic Sleep Society and was attended by 28 Presidents (or official representatives) of the National Sleep Societies in Europe and by most of the ESRS Board members.
All countries had the opportunity to present the achievements, projects and logos of their national societies.
The session dedicated to sleep medicine textbooks from the different countries granted a complete picture of the available educational material and aided in understanding the potential selling markets for publishers.
Discussion on the EU Commission Directive for drivers with sleep apnea and sleepiness offered a manifold picture of the critical aspects concerning the conflict between the rights of privacy and public interest. This also gave the impression, however, that in several countries (Austria and Estonia exposed more detailed notes) the national societies have started to seriously knock on the door of health authorities to prepare suitable countermeasures.
During the ESRS-ANSS meeting, the ANSS proposed to have a wider involvement in the organization of the biennial ESRS congress, offering a supplementary support of the host national society both at the scientific, professional and financial levels. The matter is currently discussed with the ESRS board.
The expanding growth of the Early Career Network and the tutorship of young clinicians and researchers was appreciated; a trend that will assure renewed vigour to the field of sleep.
A lively debate on the opportunity to have a professional somnologist recognized by the academic authorities in the European countries touched a crucial target of the ANSS strategy. In the next months, a task force, chaired by Dirk Pevernagie, will prepare a draft for the creation of the sleep medicine specialty in the EU.
In the final session, the EU project on sleep for Horizon 2020 was illustrated by Roberto Amici, while an awareness campaign on sleep and elderly was proposed by Marta Gonçalves.
During the meeting special prizes were received by the Romanian Sleep Society (for the best presentation), by the Belgian Sleep Society (for the best logo) and by the UK Sleep Society (for the highest number of publications in sleep).

Liborio Parrino
Chair, Executive Committee ANSS

On behalf of the EC ANSS